In this course, we were tasked with creating a 360° VR movie. We designed a looped story using a 120° viewing angle, dividing it into three parts, each occupying a 120° segment. While one part played, the others remained frozen, creating a continuous loop for an immersive storytelling experience.
The narrative focused on people who live among us but are often overlooked. We aimed to highlight their experiences, fostering an emotional connection and encouraging viewers to reflect on their presence and significance in our lives.
“Silent Sweeper” tells the story of Ramesh, a hardworking man who cleans a college hostel. He struggles to afford basic things for his family while seeing students with expensive belongings. When he tries to buy a badminton set for his son, he finds the price too high. Despite his difficulties, Ramesh keeps working hard. The movie ends with Ramesh still facing challenges but staying determined to keep going, showing how his struggles continue in a cycle.
Scene:: Inside a hostel corridor. The main character, RAMESH, is cleaning the corridor. For a moment, he looks at the shoe which is there in the corridors, and sees students coming out of their rooms, knocking on each other's doors. Seeing their bags reminds him of something.
RAVI: Hey, bhaiya room number w-41 saaf kar do please … RAMESH: haaan sir aata hu bus isse saaf karke aata hu.
Scene: Ramesh takes his and goes to Ravi's room. Ramesh goes into Ravi's room and starts cleaning. He sees Ravi eating pizza on the bed, with different types of slippers and a badminton set scattered around.
RAMESH: [curiously] bhaia ye badminton kitne ka pada
RAVI: Oh, ye badminton ye Karib 1500 Rupaye mein.
RAMESH: [thinking] 1500 Rupaye, huh? Bahut mehnga hai.
RAMESH: Bhaia ye joote hmesa yahi pade rhete hai. Agar aapke paas extra ho to kya aap mujhe de sakte hain? Mere bete ke liye ek chahiye.
RAVI: Nai, abhi to extra nai h extra hone se mai apko bata dunga.
RAMESH: Bhaia room saaf ho gaya aapka.
RAVI: Abhi ke liye, yeh pizza tumhare paas rakho.
Scene: Ramesh finishes cleaning and comes out and sits on the stairs to eat the pizza. Taking out his purse, he sees a picture of his children. His eyes well up with emotion as he remembers them asking for new bags and badminton rackets, realising that he cannot afford such fancy despite his hard work
RAMESH: [softly] Kaash main unhein sab kuch de sakta jo unhein chahiye.
A caretaker comes into the scene and scolds Ramesh for not cleaning the floor properly. CARETAKER: Ramesh! Tum hamesha yahi bethe rhete ho bhut complain aa rha hai waha corridor m kachra phela hua, jao kaam karo apna Kamchor … RAMESH: Maafi, sir. Main abhi saaf kar k deta hoon.
Scene: Ramesh goes back to the corridor and continues with his cleaning duties, with a determined look in his eyes.
And so the loop continues...
Narration Structure
Time Frame
Ananta Scene Diagram
Story boarding
Story boarding
Plan for the production
Concept:
A short film showcasing a day in the life of cleaning, a cleaning worker at a college hostel, through a repeating loop of three scenes.
Cast:
Himanshu Raj as Cleaning Worker
Juben Basumatary as Ravi (Student)
Pranav as Caretaker (Hostel Staff)
Location:
IIT Jodhpur College Hostel.
Filming:
Each scene can be filmed multiple times to ensure a clean performance and good audio capture. Utilize natural lighting as much as possible. If additional lighting is needed, consider using soft diffused light to avoid harsh shadows. During editing, the three scenes will be seamlessly looped together to create a continuous narrative.
Concept:
A short film showcasing a day in the life of cleaning, a cleaning worker at a college hostel, through a repeating loop of three scenes.
Cast:
Himanshu Raj as Cleaning Worker
Juben Basumatary as Ravi (Student)
Pranav as Caretaker (Hostel Staff)
Location:
IIT Jodhpur College Hostel.
Filming:
Each scene can be filmed multiple times to ensure a clean performance and good audio capture. Utilize natural lighting as much as possible. If additional lighting is needed, consider using soft diffused light to avoid harsh shadows. During editing, the three scenes will be seamlessly looped together to create a continuous narrative.
Post- Production
Editing and Looping:
Software: Editing software Premiere Pro to assemble the footage.
Scene Assembly: Edit the three scenes (corridor cleaning, student room, stairs) together in the desired order
Looping Technique: We employ a seamless looping technique at the end of Scene 3 to seamlessly transition back to the beginning of Scene 1. This will create a continuous narrative loop.
Color Grading:
We apply a color grade to establish a consistent visual tone throughout the film. Consider using a slightly desaturated or cool color palette to reflect the daily routine and emotional undercurrents of the story.
Sound Design:
Source Audio: Utilize the captured audio of cleaning equipment, background conversations, and the caretaker’s scolding.
Sound Effects: Add subtle sound effects to enhance the atmosphere, such as footsteps, distant conversations, and the sound of a lighter flicking on when cleaner guy considers buying the badminton set.
Music: Consider incorporating a subtle, melancholic music track to underscore the emotional depth of cleaner s story.
Additional Touches:
Titles: Adding titles at the beginning and end.
Credits: Include credits for cast and crew at the end of the looped sequence.
Learning
While creating this short film we learn to seamlessly loop scenes for unique effects. Powerful stories can be told with minimal resources by focusing on narrative. Spatial Sound design elevates your film even with smartphone recordings! Color grading sets the mood, while subtle music adds emotional depth. Editing software like Adobe Premier pro resolve helps achieve professional results. Manage your workflow for efficiency. Adapt techniques even with budget constraints. This project teaches how to create impactful stories with strong narrative and post-production techniques.
Behind the scene
Behind the scene
Hardware Used
Insta 360
Software Used
Premiere Pro (Editing)
Photoshop (Image Enhance)
Reaper (Spatial Audio)
XR.io
Hi, I’m Juben Basumatay, currently pursuing my Master’s in XR Design at IIT Jodhpur.
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